Is chest pain due to menstruation or pregnancy?

Chest pain can occur in many cases. If it is breast pain, be careful as it may be an early symptom of menstruation. The most common physiological reactions to chest pain include pain in the chest cavity. Therefore, after experiencing chest pain, do not blindly judge whether it is pregnancy or menstruation. Find out the cause first.

Is chest pain due to menstruation or pregnancy?

Chest pain caused by breast disease is mainly caused by proliferative diseases or inflammatory diseases. The pain is mainly located in the breast. A proliferative mass can be felt in the breast, accompanied by obvious tenderness. However, for a small number of patients, the pain is not centered in the breast, and sometimes radiates to one or both axillary areas, or to the sternum area, shoulders, etc. The pain caused by breast proliferative lesions has changes in the menstrual cycle, that is, premenstrual breast pain; but in a few patients, the pain is irregular. Combining symptoms and signs, diagnosis is generally not difficult. Chest pain caused by inflammatory lesions of the breast is characterized by local redness, swelling, heat and pain, and is generally not difficult to diagnose.

Chest and breast pain caused by other breast diseases is relatively rare, but as long as the clinical characteristics of each disease are mastered, its diagnosis is generally not difficult.

(1) Costochondritis: Many patients with this disease seek treatment from breast specialists due to severe chest pain. The chest pain in these patients is often persistent, especially when the ipsilateral upper arm is moved. Physical examination revealed an obvious bulge in the unilateral costal cartilage (mostly at the third and fourth costal cartilages), and local tenderness was very obvious. This disease is more common in middle-aged and young women, usually with a history of trauma. You can consult an orthopedic surgeon for this disease.

(2) Herpes zoster: When herpes is not yet typical, the patient may experience pain on one side of the chest, with no obvious local signs. Most patients are older women. A rash may appear on the 2nd to 4th day, and the local area may feel a burning pain. However, the rash is only distributed on one side, whether it is the chest or back, and generally does not cross the midline. You may seek dermatology consultation for this disease.

(3) Intercostal neuralgia: This is a type of neuralgic pain of unknown cause. The affected intercostal nerves may experience pain at the site of the lesion, sometimes with a stabbing or knife-like pain, which worsens with deep breathing and coughing, and sometimes worsens with turning the body. During physical examination, there may be obvious tenderness along the lower edge of the ribs, with no local redness, swelling, or burning sensation, and the affected nerves may experience local decreased sensation. A neurologist may be consulted for this disease.

(4) Cardiovascular disease: Typical angina pectoris is generally not difficult to diagnose based on medical history, physical signs and electrocardiogram examination. However, some atypical coronary heart disease patients, accompanied by chest pain, palpitations, or mild asthma, and who are also older, should immediately undergo an electrocardiogram or cardiac color ultrasound examination, and have a blood test to check blood lipids. You can consult a cardiologist as soon as possible to make a clear diagnosis and take further measures. In addition, patients with myocarditis and pericarditis may also have chest pain, but they are all accompanied by more specific symptoms and signs. If necessary, please consult an internal medicine doctor to make a clear diagnosis.

(5) Respiratory diseases: Some respiratory diseases (such as lobar pneumonia, tuberculosis, pulmonary infarction, pleurisy, etc.) are often accompanied by symptoms such as chest pain, cough, hemoptysis, fever, etc. As long as you inquire about the medical history in detail and pay attention to the lung signs, diagnosis is not difficult. For this disease, please consult the respiratory department.

Breast pain caused by breast diseases is often easily confused with chest pain caused by other diseases. As a specialist, you should make a preliminary judgment based on the patient's onset characteristics, clinical symptoms and signs, so that the patient can receive reasonable treatment in a shorter period of time to avoid misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis.